find joy in the journey

embrace the camera: may 31st

Anna's homework assignment this week is to bring in a picture of her family, to add to her kindergarten memory book.  I sat down and realized that we haven't taken a picture of us, as a family, since last summer! Well, unless you count our 2011 Christmas card photo in which Scott appears via Facetime on the iPad.

This morning I had my mom snap a quick photo of us on the patio before we scattered for work, school, and CA (she was just passing through -- stayed the night last night on her way home from visiting grandpa Blain in Utah).

So I thought I'd share a little snippet about each of us, in our world today:

Payton:  The good quotes just keep on coming.  This morning while watching tv he said, "When my wife has a baby do I have to watch?"  

Conner: He was awesome in his class play today.  He got into it with lots of emotion while the other kids did the typical smile & giggle because I'm embarrassed and on stage act.  Afterwards a couple parents (who we don't know at all) told him he did a good job.  He felt very proud.

Scott:  He's preparing to take Conner on a scout campout.  Which is tricky when all your camping gear is buried in storage.  Oops.  Should have put some orange duct tape on those boxes.

Anna:  After lunch she wanted to watch a movie.  So she popped in Star Wars Episode II.  Each day this week it has been a different Star Wars movie. Her dad would be so proud.

Shannon:  I have a love/hate relationship with Target.  I go inside with a small list (cream cheese, socks, razors) and somehow they convince me that I need a woven tray, new essie nail polish , and kitchen towels.  Resistance is futile.

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memorial day hike

Back to Red Rock Canyon for another hike!

(photos from my iphone)

And we were entertained all day by Payton's quotes.

Referring to the above location Payton said:  "It looks like an artist took a vacation here and painted all the rocks."

Scott spent some time teaching Conner how to use his compass.  Checking off Boy Scout requirements.

Payton's best quote came while we ate lunch at Red Robin.  We were talking about the military (seeing as it was Memorial Day) and specifically about the kids' Uncle Kevin, who serves in the army and returned from a deployment/mission a few weeks ago. 

Scott said that he was serving "in a very dangerous place."

Payton, so innocently, chimes in, "What, like Chicago?"

And I lost it.  I was in the middle of chewing a bite of my Banzai burger and nearly choked.  And pretty soon there were tears.

Then as we were leaving he said, "I LOVE the restaurants where you can just leave your big ol' mess on the table."

Love that kid.

to the airport!

We're picking up Scott from the airport today. No, nothing glamorous like London. Just school in Utah. Have I mentioned he's almost done?! This will actually be my last run as an airport chauffeur.

I sat down with my calendar today and calculated the number of times I have driven to the airport since September 2011.

Somewhere around 44.

forty-four.

Between Scott's commutes from Vegas to Portland for 6 months and EMBA school every other weekend . . . the airport has become a second home of sorts.

A home that I am not sad to say good-bye to.

On the bright side? All that flying (the miles, points, platinum status) is going to enable us to fly first class for FREE on our trip next year. I like free.

So I have softened my heart towards the airport. It has served us well. And now we're moving on.

Have a great memorial day weekend!

instagram today: yellow shirt from old navy // we spent 3hrs at the park because the weather was lovely and non-sweaty // making plans for the summer fun list

red rock canyon

I love being outside in nature.  Exploring.  Walking.  Or sitting.  Gathering in a visual feast of Heavenly Father's creations.  Finding beauty.  Being awed.

It's been quite a while since I've done that so last weekend I decided to take the kids to Red Rock Canyon (while Scott was flying home from London), to discover the new kinds of beauty that are right here around us.

And can I just say, we loved it.

Loved it.  Loved it. Loved it.  All day Payton kept saying, "thank you so much, mom, for taking us here."

We started off in the visitor's center which has this indoors/outdoors set-up and was just so cool.

We met a few desert tortoises up close.  And Payton shared his vast knowledge of desert tortoises with us (apparently a desert wildlife expert had visited his class the previous week).

The views were pretty spectacular.

The scenic drive was perfect.  A one-way, slow, meandering road with places to pull off along the way and check out the sites.

I love that she is becoming a little photog.

Aren't these the cutest little cars/scooters you've ever seen?  A group of tourists from the strip were also checking out the canyon.  (I've heard, though, that these scooter tours are a bit pricey.)

There were a few spots in the park where you can see pictographs and petroglyphs from early inhabitants.  When we walked up to this one, I have to tell you it was actually quite moving to see this.  Handprints.  Such a real physical manifestation of people who lived a long time ago.  Wow.

This 1.5 mile loop was also labeled the Children's Discovery Trail, so we figured it was a good hike to introduce the kids to hiking in the desert.

This is just 5-10 minutes in.  (I admit, I did tell them to pose this way.)

The trails, though, were surprisingly uneven, narrow, and rocky for what is considered a "children's hike".  Even Conner commented several times, "and they call this the children's discovery trail?  Sheesh.  What are the real trails like?"

Even so, we passed 2 or 3 families with toddlers (2-5 years old) and babies in hiking backpacks.  So it was just fine.  I think my kids were expecting a walk in the park.

The hike leads to a dry waterfall.  It would be fun to go back in Jan-March when there is actually water coming down.

On our way out we spied a rock climber.  Pretty cool!  I was a little nervous, though, when we heard him say to his buddy, "my forearms are shot."  Eek, hold on tight!

We enjoyed our day and the hike so much that we have plans to go back this Memorial Day weekend and try another one!

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project life 2012 // catching up

So, remember when I used to do project life and share it here on the blog?  I made it through mid-February with weekly layouts, then life got really busy, then we moved, and I just haven't gotten back into the groove yet.  

But I've been craving it!

Last week my blog friend Emily (who is now my in-real-life friend) came over for an evening of project life-ing and it really helped me to get my groove back.  Too bad she moved to California this week.

Anyways, I just wanted to share a few of my recent layouts.  There is a lot of catch-up I need to do.  But rather than focus on just catching up, my plan going forward is to work on the current week and one catch-up week as I have the time.  And if some of the weeks don't make it into the album, it is okay.

Catch-up layout #1 -- This spread covers just 2 days.  Two.  And it was all about the photos.  I've already blogged about the Vintage Spring Sorbet, and I'll probably make a photo book of some sort.  So for the purposes of PL I just wanted to throw some photos into the album to make mention that it happened.

One of my favorite things . . . the row of 8 Instax photos in the journaling pockets.  A perfect fit.

6 x 12 page insert.  The pink chevron pattern is a paper cookie bag that I cut into strips.

Washi tape + word stickers to adorn this cute photo.

Catch-up Layout #2 - There wasn't a ton going on the week before and after my trip, so I combined several of the random happenings into one layout.

For the date card I used a collage of instagram photos.

Catch-up Layout #3 -- A semi-normal week around here.  5th Grade Parent's night, day camp, mother's day, finishing up a science project, cooling off at the splash pad.

I love the transparent circle journaling spots.  They were a free download from Design Editor.

I knew this photo of Conner would be perfect for a 6x8 enlargement.  I love the look of spreading it across several journal/photo pockets.

More of the same . . . . The "quote" journaling card was a free download from Cathy Zielske (somewhere deep in her PL archives).

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That's all!  And guess what . . . it's wednesday and my May 14-20 layout is finished and in the book!  I'm on a roll.

Linking up over at The Mom Creative

for today: may 22nd

Outside my window . . . the morning sun, the parking lot, and a big pine tree

I am thinking . . . about the things I need to accomplish today.  Bills & checkbook type stuff.

I am thankful for . . . my sweet kids.  We do kisses & good-byes & I love you's inside the van when I pull up to the curb at school.  Today they got out of the car and as they walked toward the school, they each turned back and called "I love you, mom!"  It made my heart so happy.  I took a mental snapshot right there and then . . . my 11, 9, and 6 year old heading off for school.  Happy and awesome.  This is also the last year that all 3 of them will be attending the same school together.  I need to remember this, and hug them tight & play & imagine & create & just be together this summer.  Loving this life.

From the kitchen . . . I made an Asian salad with shrimp for dinner last night.  Yum!  I think we're going to enjoy lots of salads and sandwiches this summer.  I've created a Pinterest board titled "oven-free summer" to gather recipes.  If you have any great recipes or ideas please share!

I am wearing . . . denim bermuda shorts, grey & white striped shirt, and wet hair.  When the weatherman says it's going to be 104 degrees I'm just not sure it's worth it to do something to my hair because it's going to end up in a pony tail anyway.

I am creating . . . Project Life layouts.  I'm sharing a catch-up post tomorrow!

I am going . . . to do better at being a Hands-Free Mama.  I loved this blog post (and her blog in general).  When the kids are around, put the phone/ipad/blog away.  Trying.

I am reading . . . not much right now, other than the Book of Mormon.  I started Little Women and The Book Thief in the last month, but I got distracted.

I am hoping . . . to pull together a plan for summer vacation this week.  I think our Summer Fun List will look a little different than in years past.  Usually, summer is our chance to finally get outdoors.  But here summer is going to mean more time indoors.  We'll see how it comes together.  Any ideas or tips?

I am hearing . . . the Anderson Crew's playlist.  I always love the music she has playing on her blog.  Just my style.

Around the house . . . (sigh) woke up to puddles of water on the kitchen floor and under the sink.  Our crazy dishwasher.

One of my favorite things . . . Scott's recovery from jet lag.  :)  He's almost there, but it's cute to watch him desperately try to stay awake, only to finally realize it's a lost cause and konk out at 8:30.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . Not too much going on this week.  There are a few school activities for the kids.  And I'm trying to decide what to do with the kids on Saturday.  Thankfully the temps are supposed to drop down to 81 by Saturday, so that opens up a lot of options.

A picture to share . . . from a hike that I took the kids on last weekend.  A full post is coming up.

I hope you have a great day!

he came back with souvenirs

And I think he did an amazing job.

1.  Lego Harry Potter Sticker Books (London) for all of the kids.

2.  Beef Jerky (Munich) for Payton

3.  A music box that plays the Star Wars Theme (Paris) for Conner

4.  A Paris snow globe (Paris) for Payton

5.  Eiffel tower keychains (Paris) for each of the kids

6.  Paddington Bear dressed as the Royal Guard (London) for Anna

7.  Wicked London t-shirt for me

8.  Macaroons (Paris) for me

9.  Les Miserables t-shirt (London) for me

10.  Holzermayr chocolates (made & sold only in Salzburg) for me

11.  An assortment of candy from each country

12.  European coins

And not pictured, a sweet dirndl for me . . . straight from Austria.  I love it.

Additionally, he tracked down the artist's hill in Paris and picked out these for me.

This black & white painting with touches of red . . . . just so stunning!

Anna is head over heels in love with her teddy bear.  "He knew just what I wanted. A stuffed bear!"

missing you

By the time this post publishes, we will be at the airport picking up Scott from a 16 day trip around Europe.  Now, don't think this was for his own personal enjoyment.  No way. It was an international excursion that is required for completing his EMBA program.  (We're on the home stretch!)  For those who wished to, spouses could come along.  You just had to fork over $7000 for their portion.  Ouch!  (Scott's expenses are included in his tuition.)  We decided that we would much rather enjoy a vacation on our terms, where we set the itinerary, so Scott has promised to take me on a big trip next year.  I need to start planning!

Before he left I tucked a few notecards into his luggage.  One to open in each city.

Each card had a cute/funny message, letting him know I was thinking of him and that I missed him.  I also printed out a few photos of me from the spring event and included them with some washi tape.

Cute?

Additionally, I added a "challenge" in his Paris card:  "Take my photo and get a picture of me somewhere in the city.  Or better yet, a picture of you kissing me in the City of Love!"

Well, he took the challenge and went above & beyond!  Taking me with him throughout Paris and London (the last 2 cities in the trip).  

These photos are screenshots from his instragram account.  Which, can I just say is the best app ever!  It has been so wonderful to get daily, play by play photos of his trip and the things that he is seeing and experiencing.  It's almost like I'm there.  Almost.

US: at the Eiffel Tower // eating a banana & nutella crepe // kissing on the subway

US: in a red phone booth // with the Royal Guard // at Windsor Castle

That photo with the Royal Guard cracks me up.  Scott is soooo not the person to create or take the time for photo opportunities.  So he must really, really love me.

Over the past two weeks there have been several mornings when I have woken up to find a short video in my e-mail.  Something that he saw during the day that he thought I might enjoy.  Like I said, he must really, really love me!

Enjoy!

love the place you live // library

We have always enjoyed our small town library back in Oregon. From time to time Anna and I would visit story & craft time (tried that with the boys when they were little but it was a big fail), every year the kids signed up for the summer reading program, I took the Cub Scouts on a field trip there, etc. etc. etc.

So after moving I sought out the library pretty quickly and was so impressed by the list of activities that they offer.  Here are a few of the things we have taken advantage of.

BOOKS & BRICKS

The kids were all over this one.  On this particular day the library staff read a couple books about gardens and then issued a challenge to the kids to create a garden scene.  

Top left: Conner, with a waterfall & stream running through his garden.  Top right: Anna.

Bottom left:  Payton.  His garden is on fire.  Nice, huh?

ARTS & CRAFTS

Arts & crafts for the kids and I don't even have to clean up the mess?  Sweet!  We visited on the first saturday of May and they just happened to be making Mother's Day projects.  Perfect!

PICNIC & A MOVIE

Once a month they show a movie on the big projector screen, and invite families to bring a picnic dinner to enjoy while watching the show.  This was a perfect Family Home Evening activity so we packed a dinner, gathered a blanket & pillows and headed to the library to watch The Muppets.

BOOKS

Of course, aside from all the activities, they have tons and tons of books.  Anna and I go every 1-2 weeks to check out a huge stack of books.  Recently the boys have had big projects & reports at school for which they needed to site books as their sources (not just the internet).  So it was really helpful to find multiple books about Erosion, New Mexico, and Denmark. 

I'm so glad that we have this amazing resource so close to our home and I'm thankful for all the programs that it offers.  No matter where you go, you can always feel at home in the library!

cubbing down under

Last weekend Payton got to attend Cub Scout Day Camp.  This is year number 4 of day camp for our family.  We love it.  The boys have a great time making projects, playing games, and doing things like archery that they don't normally get to do.  I was kind of sad that I didn't get to go as a helper, but circumstances wouldn't allow for that.  Next year.

When we picked up Payton late Saturday afternoon he was fillll-thy!  Oh my goodness, so so dirty.

But he had had an awesome time.  He was so excited about all the cool stuff they had done.

archery / marshmallow blow guns / hike / obstacle course / climbing wall / bommerang craft / build a toolbox / build a crossbow / animal masks / relay races / rain stick / duct tape water bottle holders / cricket / flag ceremony / skit

I was a little concerned how he would do in the 95+ degree heat over the 2 days.  We are used to bringing jackets to day camp (in July) and dousing the boys with bug spray.  Here we traded the bug spray for sunscreen spray.

The camp was held at a church building - a stake center with a big field & pavilion on the lot, and a park (with splash pad) across the street.  It sounds like many of the classes & crafts were indoors so they had plenty of opportunities to cool off.  Not to mention running through the splash pad as part of the obstacle course.

Friday night they held a campfire for families to attend and watch each den perform a skit.  Payton's den was so disappointed when a group ahead of them performed the Cub Scout classic, "Invisible Bench."  That was their skit too!

So they improvised and turned theirs into the "Invisible Couch."

Cub Scouts is a party!  You just have to embrace the 9 year old boy silly/quirky/loud/high-energy spirit.

101 in 1001

So if you have browsed around my blog anytime in the last month or so you might have noticed a little link in my top navigation bar for "101 in 1001."  I came across this plan/program, whatever you want to call it, sometime last year while browsing through the blogosphere.

Here's the basic idea:   Come up with a list of 101 tasks.  Not just goals.  But tasks that are specific, with results that are measurable, tangible, real.  Things you've been meaning to do or putting off for a while.  Things that you dream to do.  Things that seem inspiring or challenging.  And then complete those tasks in 1001 days.  That's roughly 2.75 years.  

I have a lot of things like that.  They've been simmering in my head for a while, or floating on my pinterest boards, or causing me stress when I realize they're piling up and I'm doing nothing about it.

Source: bakeat350.blogspot.com via Shannon on Pinterest

 

 

So that's what I'm going to do.  

I'll share a monthly update on my progress here, but you can always click over to my 101 in 1001 list to see what's up.

I started this one right out of the shoots.  If you know me, you know I'm not a consistent working out kind of girl.  I go in spurts.  A month here, then a 6 month break, then back on for a week, and so forth.  But this one I decided I would stick to and make it happen.

Each week morning after dropping the kids off at school I either headed back the apartment for some Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred or to the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical.  The elliptical was my favorite because it has a nifty little book stand that holds my ipad just perfectly.  While running I was able to finish reading Blind Your Ponies and start Little Women .

I wrapped up my 30 days just before my trip to California.  Travelling and trying to get back into normal life have kept me from working out.  But I've been craving it!  Which is so weird for me.  Gotta get back soon.

For the last 2 weeks I have been taking an online workshop from Elise Blaha on how to make your Typepad blog look awesome.  But behind the scenes it's really just a whole lot of html code.  It's amazing what a few of these <img src="image.jpg"> and these <p> and these <a href="link"><img src="imagesource.jpg"></a> can do.

Basically, all this knowledge has helped me turn my blog from this,

Now, my blog looked fine before, and maybe you don't notice all the differences.  But I do.

The workshop was great.  Very informative and thorough and taught me a lot of things that I would have never figured out on my own. 

This one was super easy to check off . . . . because Scott bought me a Silhouette Cameo for Mother's Day!  Score!

#11 - write in my journal once a month (1 of 33)

#16 - Read 100 books with Anna before 1st grade (23 of 100)

#32 - Connect with siblings each month (1 of 33)

#36 - Plan 12 dates for Scott & I (2 of 12)

#39 - Unplug for one day each month (1 of 33)

#84 - Send happy mail once a month (3 of 33)

 

mother's day 2012

Trying to get a photo with my kids after church on Mother's Day

They were such sweethearts this morning.  They got up bright and early and prepared a breakfast of scrambled eggs & cinnamon toast with milk on the side just for me.  Then they showered me with cards, art projects, a poem, and Conner sat down at the keyboard to play & sing a mother's day song for me.

They get extra props because they planned and executed this all on their own.  (Scott is in Paris, eating crepes.  I know.  I'm choosing not to be jealous.)  He did leave a mother's day gift for me to open today.  A Silhouette Cameo.  For real!  I'm so excited to start playing with it.

I saw these cute notes on Pinterest so we filled some out and mailed them to the Grammers.  Today I told the kids that they would make my mother's day if they filled one out for me.  Their responses

by ANNA
My mom is 100 years old.  My mom weighs 56 pounds.  My mom's favorite color is green.  My mom's favorite food is salad.  My mom always says, "I love you."  My mom cooks the best pizza. (My note:  ya, Papa Murphy's pizza.)  My mom's job is clean.  My mom laughs when I say hu hu hu.  If my mom had time, she would love to play with me.  My mom & I like to play.  My mom really loves me.  I LOVE my mom because I love my mom.

by PAYTON
My mom is 32 years old*.  My mom weighs 125 pounds.  My mom's favorite color is purple.  My mom's favorite food is chicken.  My mom always says, "come for dinner."  My mom cooks the best meatloaf.  My mom's job is cleaning the house.  My mom laughs when I make a funny joke.  If my mom had time, she would love to go to a park.  My mom & I like to cuddle.  My mom really loves me!  I LOVE my mom because she loves me.

by CONNER
My mom is 34 years old.  My mom weighs 100 pounds.  My mom's favorite color is pink.  My mom's favorite food is cinnamon toast.  My mom always says, "I love you."  My mom cooks the best waffles.   My mom's job is taking care of us.  My mom laughs when I do something funny.  If my mom had time, she would love to have fun with her friends.  My mom & I like to cuddle.  My mom really loves scrapbooking.  I LOVE my mom because she drives us to school, gives us food, and cleans the house. 

 I love the theme of this video.

The greatest thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother.  

I want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to my mom as well.  For all that she taught me, all the love that she gives me, the example she was/is, and the confidence she gave me to become the woman/mother/wife/friend that I am today.

*Payton was the only one who got my age right . . . 32.

p.s. I sent this book to my mom.  I love the idea of sitting down and recording all the things that make you happy.

ready or not

Right now, as I type this, there are pre-registration papers for middle school sitting on my kitchen counter.  Ya, that's right.  Middle School.

And suddenly we are there.  Ready or not!

The other night Conner and I attended a Parents' Night at his future middle school.  Just driving up to the place felt like a big step.  And the place is big.  I believe the enrollment is 1600 students.

A few clubs & sports had booths set up . . . . lacrosse, basketball, golf, Krypto Club, archery, national junior honors society, . . . 

Then we filed into the gym for a program.  As we sat there I watched the other parents & kids make their way in, the cheerleaders practiced a routine on the floor, girls & boys gathered with friends, some looked a little like deer in the headlights, most fighting through the awkward stage.  Each one on the cusp of realizing this new world of growth & socialization & peers.  I thought to myself, this is a whole new ball game.

We watched and occasionally I looked at Conner and smiled -- reminding him that this wasn't the best place to break out into an imaginary Star Wars battle.

The program included a speech by the student body president, performances by the choir, orchestra, band, cheerleaders, and dance team, and a welcome by the principal.  Conner went back to the school today on a field trip with all the 5th graders from his school (and other elementary schools).  Again, they had a tour of the school and another assembly with the same performances.  This was their preview into the school's electives.

He gets to choose one elective for his schedule.  There are 4 choices for 6th graders:  Choir, Band, Orchestra, and Exploration (a rotation through 4 different subjects).  After much consideration this week (I'll spare you the details -- but it involved a sudden, random desire to play the violin) he settled on a ranked list with men's choir in his number 1 spot.  I think he will love it.  I mean, they sang "Don't Stop Believin'" and the director is a cool young guy.

I was very pleased to see that all of his teachers recommended him for the advanced classes in every subject.  I know he performs at that level, I just wasn't sure if his teachers would have taken notice after such a short time spent together.  

One thing I'm really excited about is their Summer Institute.  Incoming 6th graders can sign up for a 4-day "camp" of sorts during the month of August.  They come to the school for 3 hours/day for an opportunity to become familiar with the campus, learn school procedures, organize their binders, meet their teachers, practice opening their lockers, walk their schedule, and meet new friends.  So so happy about this.  He is signed up and ready to go!

Oh and more crazy thing -- their 6th grade outdoor school is held on Catalina Island.  Yep.  Activities include snorkeling and kayaking.  Oh my word.

In other news, we finished the science project.  Hallelujah!  And tonight he wrapped up his country research report on Denmark (a country of your heritage).

We are soooo happy that tomorrow is Friday!

how to move 1000 miles and keep track of your stuff.

When I was in the middle of the packing process I received a comment from a reader.  She asked if I would please share my moving system once we got settled in.

Well, I think we're relatively settled (for now) so here goes!

This was going to be a tricky move . . . . pack it all up, put 90% into storage for an unknown period of time, and move the necessities into an apartment.  Packing it all up into random boxes and having the movers throw it onto the truck just wasn't going to work.  There needed to be some order if I was ever going to find my pots & pans or my pedi kit ever again.

I found this article -- The Type A Guide to Moving - and it set me in the direction I wanted to go.

Step 1:  Get some Avery 8160 labels.  Print the name of each room in your house and a number below it (1, 2, 3,  . . . ).  I wanted to eliminate the thinking (and estimating) factor so I just printed an entire sheet of labels for each room.  Bonus room 1-30, Master bedroom 1-30, Kitchen 1-30, Kids Bathroom 1-30, etc.  Yep, I had a lot of labels.  But this also ensured that I was stocked and didn't have to go back to my messy computer room for reprints.

Step 2:  Print a moving log for each room (see below).  Label the page with the name of each room, and number the rows 1-30.  Yep, this meant I had 3 pages for each room.  Punch holes and throw it in a binder.

Download a blank moving log here:  Download Moving

Step 3:  Pack your stuff.  Put a label sticker on the box and write the contents of the box onto your moving log.

When your movers show up they will be so so impressed.  I know.

Now that storage unit . . . . 

I knew there were many things I would want in the apartment, but we would not be able to fit them into the van for the drive down (kitchen appliances, food, clothing, shoes, etc.).  And there were other things that I could foresee us needing in the future which would be nice to access without climbing over walls of boxes (the kids' scooters & helmets, picnic chairs, scrapbooks, etc.)

So after packing & sealing those boxes I taped them again with bright orange duct tape.

And, in the moving log I highlighted those box numbers with an orange highlighter.

When the moving truck showed up to our empty 10x30 storage unit, we let them know that anything with orange tape should be set aside.  When the unit was loaded, the orange boxes went in the front of the unit for easy access.

It was a brilliant idea!  And it worked out perfectly.

Additionally, I stood there with my trusty binder and crossed off the orange boxes as they appeared off the truck, to ensure everything was accounted for.

More tips:

*On the moving log, make a little note of the size of the box (small, medium, large, kitchen, wardrobe, plastic tub, etc.)  That way when you need the ping pong paddles & balls, and you're searching through a sea of boxes for Bonus Room 7, at least you will know that you're looking for a medium box.

*Feed your movers.  Packing day and unloading day.  It's a good idea to keep the guys who are hauling your stuff across state lines happy.

*Packing paper is the way to go.  Forget the bubble wrap.  I think I went through 400 sheets or so.

*Shrink wrap is also super cool.  The movers use it to wrap all the furniture.  We used smaller rolls to wrap up bundles of curtain rods, elfa shelves & rods, garden tools (shovels, rakes, etc.), and Rock Band guitars.

*Buy good packing tape.  The cheap stuff is just cheap.

I think that's about it!  Pretty straight forward.  It does create a few extra (small) steps in the packing process but it pays off 100 fold later on.  If I ever need my Uggs again I know that they are in Master Bedroom 14 (medium).  Or if I'm desperate for my laminator it is in Craft Room 21 (also medium).

I hope this helps!  If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section below.  Happy moving!

two month report

The kids are doing great in school.  They've fallen into the homework routine so it's no longer a 3 hour ordeal every day.  Yay!  (Well, today it took 3 hours, but that's because one boy has 2 big projects due on Friday).

Scott still loves his job.

Our apartment is still working out well for us.  Although, I'm afraid the flat white paint that they used to cover every surface will be black by the time we move out.  Boo to flat paint.

We haven't had to call the maintenance crew in a couple weeks so that's good news!

For a while our laundry/storage room was wreaking of cigarette smoke.  Sometimes when I walked in it was just choking.  Not good, because I had planned to store all of our scrapbooks, photo albums, and family videos in there to avoid any damage they might get from sitting in the storage unit during the summer heat.  But I also don't want them to smell like cigarette smoke!  The smell has gone away, thank goodness.  Or else we've just become really accustomed to it.  Please tell me if I smell like smoke. 

The splash pads at the city parks turned on last week.  I took Anna one day after school and she loved it.

The library has become another favorite place to visit.  We've attended several of the saturday activities (legos, arts & crafts) and plan to do more.

My primary class is pretty cute.  They are good kids, but I had to get a little upset at them my first Sunday. Class was just beginning when someone turned off the light across the room from where I was standing, leaving us in the pitch blackness, and he refused to turn it back on.  I'm sorry, I don't put up with that kind of stuff.

The part that remains the hardest, as with any move, is making the connections.  I feel like I'm making a lot of effort . . . attending activities whenever I can, volunteering, introducing myself to lots of people, saying hi, being friendly, asking questions, etc.

It would just be nice if I didn't have to initiate every conversation.

And it would be especially nice if someone could remember my name from one week to the next.  That's all.

Temperatures are in the 90's most of the time now.  Yesterday it was only 80 and I dare say that it was quite pleasant!  Conner has some pretty awesome tan lines from his glasses.

We love the pool here and swim as often as our afternoons will allow.

I've even grown fond of the onsite fitness center.  Many mornings I'll head there after school drop-off with a book on my ipad and read while plugging away on the elliptical.

I bought a planter of annuals to set on our doorstep and it makes me so happy to see that color everyday.

Renters are moving into our Oregon house this week so that makes us very happy!

As far as the Vegas house goes . . . We fully expect to be here (the apartment) through the entire summer.  There has been no new word on the house.  It will just take some time.  And that's okay.

In the meantime we are doing good.